Artistic Renderings of Youth, a juried exhibit of work by 7th through 12th grade artists from area schools, will be on display at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in Florence from April 4th through May 9th, 2022. Reception will be April 7 from 6pm-8pm.

This exhibit, coordinated by local art teachers, provides an opportunity for art students to exhibit their artwork and receive recognition for their talent. Ribbons are awarded in three grade divisions: Division 1: 7th and 8th grades, Division 2: 9th and 10th grades, and Division 3: 11th and 12th grades. Division 3 (11th and 12th grades) also has the Ronnie Riner “Memorial Drawing Award” for the most outstanding drawing, the Jerry Foster “Avant Garde Award” for the most innovative and design challenging piece and a University of North Alabama Art Scholarship.

Illustration art has been the focus of our programs and workshops at Kennedy-Douglass for the past three months as we have partnered with the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library to host the Childhood Classics Children’s Book Illustration exhibit. We received grant funds from the Alabama State Council on the Arts for related programs and included an Illustration exhibit at AROY as one of our intended community engagement and education programs. We will have a dedicated Illustration exhibit area within the AROY exhibit highlighting this category of art.